Maoist Threat: Gurupriya Bridge To Remain Under CCTV Scanner

Malkangiri: With the construction of Gurupriya bridge over Janbai river in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district nearing completion, the Odisha government has decided to take all possible security measures to protect it from the Maoists, who are reportedly planning to blow it up.

Following intelligence inputs about movement of armed cadres of the banned outfit in the cut-off areas and the periphery of the bridge under construction, BSF personnel and the district police have stepped up 24-hour combing operation.

On the other hand, Malkangiri police have decided to put up hi-max lights on the entire stretch of the Gurupriya bridge, besides installing CCTV cameras.

It has been decided that the CCTV cameras would be installed along the bridge and even under its span to track any movement. Besides, there will be 24×7 webcasting of the bridge for which six high-resolution night vision cameras would be used. Specific instructions have been given to the Works Department for putting up mi-max lights along the bridge and its periphery to ensure proper webcasting at night.

Apart from this, senior police officers of Malkangiri district and the BSF officials will hold frequent review meetings to monitor movement of the ultras in the region.

The 910-metre long bridge and 1200 metre approaching road on either side is being executed by Kolkata-based Royal Infraconstru Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 172 crore. The work began in 2014 with the deployment of Border Security Forces at both ends of the bridge.

The bridge will connect 151 villages with a population of about 30,000 spread over seven panchayats in the cut-off area to the mainland.

The security personnel will have a tactical advantage after completion of the bridge.

The foundation stone for the bridge was laid in 1982 by the then chief minister JB Patnaik and again by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in 2000.